The Billionaire's Ex-Wife Returns!
Chapter 34: The Painter and His Wife

Chapter 34: The Painter and His Wife

Landon was instantly reminded that he had hired an interior painter for the Southwest Branch, whom he hadn’t met yet.

Although he very much wanted to hang up and continue negotiating with Alaric to get out of that room, Landon had to remind himself that he was also the CEO of a conglomerate.

"What happened?" he asked through the phone. The associate manager wouldn’t call him for anything. There has to be something urgent and important.

Mr. Winsky explained what had happened. He started with the first mistake Erica and Mark made at the airport, then ended it with the request the painter had asked for.

"Who’s Erica and Mark?" Landon frowned at the unfamiliar names flung at him.

"They’re employees at HQ who stayed in the company for about three years now. I gave him the task of staying with the painter to assist her." Mr. Winsky reported. He had no reason to say this, but the years of their usefulness in Westwood Group were an important element for him to do this.

It’d be troublesome to replace two employees with years of experience in the company.

Thus, he made to point out this to Landon, hoping this would somehow make him hesitate to fire Erica and Mark from the company.

However, Landon did not share the same sentiments as the associate manager.

"Since they made a mistake, there’s no need for them to continue working in the company then. Have them pack their things and leave as soon as they can." Landon showed them no mercy.

"But sir, wouldn’t it be appropriate to give them a chance?"

Landon coldly replied, "They were already given a second chance after the first mistake. Let them go."

He hung up before the associate manager could persuade him. As soon as the call disconnected, Landon tossed the phone back to Alaric and moved toward the adjacent living room to his suite.

Following behind him, Alaric couldn’t help but voice out his question, "What was that? Did you just fire two employees because the painter asked it?"

He didn’t hear the complete conversation between Landon and the associate manager, but the words that Landon had uttered alone gave him a general idea of what happened.

Sitting across from him, Alaric continued, "I still don’t get why you ended up hiring an independent painter from another country when renowned local painters have flocked your way to do it. The conditions they put in the contract were also ridiculous yet, you agreed to them all."

This wasn’t the first time Alaric had questioned him about this. But Landon sent Alaric to Virela City to get him off his back. Who knew they would go around this discussion once again?

Rubbing his eyes, Landon said, "I did it on a whim. I was bored."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Alaric stared at him, totally not buying his lie.

Landon did not want to continue this conversation. Now that he had sat down, the exhaustion of not sleeping and having a high fever on top of it all finally bore down to him.

But he refused to close his eyes and rest.

Despite his effort to deflect the topic, Alaric still caught onto something and said, "There’s no other reason for you to agree to unreasonable conditions unless it’s something relating to or involving your wife. So, you either took out your brain when you agreed to it, or it has something to do with Lucy."

Landon opened his eyes and stared straight at him. There really was no hiding anything from this bastard.

"I knew it." Alaric clicked his tongue.

Three years ago, he wouldn’t even dare retort back to his boss’s words, but after sharing years of understanding and showing their wounds to each other, Alaric got rid of the fear and awkwardness between them. Naturally, he still respected Landon as his boss and would do anything for him, but now, there’s a thick line of friendship that was in between them.

Landon turned away, knowing the oncoming commentary Alaric was about to do.

"For the past three years, you’ve collected a lot of things that remind you of your wife. You didn’t even care about the price, so this shouldn’t surprise me. But what I can’t understand is why that painter?"

Landon took a long time to respond.

And when he did, it was not in the form of words. He took out his phone and swiped on the screen a few times before handing it to Alaric, who looked puzzled by this strange response.

Looking down at the phone, Alaric saw what looked like a surreal scene of a plain in front of a green mountain. The surroundings were filled with cypris trees where a deer and a fawn were taking a rest under their shade. Birds of many kinds flew in the pinkish-blue sky while the sun was setting behind the mountain. The image depicted a peaceful scene in a place that looked like paradise.

Yet Alaric still couldn’t get why Landon showed this to him. To admire the masterful skill to paint this landscape?

Taking a glance at Landon to guess his intention, Alaric heard him speak.

"Swipe to the right."

Alaric did as he was told to.

This time, a new picture was shown on the screen.

On it was a woman with her hair tied into a braid behind her back with a purple ribbon. Her pale skin was translucent in the picture and she looked beautiful beyond comparison. Smudges of color were on her cheeks, making her look adorable. It was certainly an endearing photo of a woman whose attention was captured by the canvas in front of her.

Alaric realized it was a candid photo of Lucy, Landon’s wife, who had disappeared more than three years ago.

But this photo did not look like it was recently taken. This photograph should have been taken before Lucy disappeared.

"I took that photo when she wasn’t looking," Landon explained, as a sad look flashed across his face. "She was an art student. But I never see her paint in front of me. I had this taken when I accidentally saw her at a park."

Thinking about how he came across her that time, hurt and guilt rushed into him.

At that time, he went to the park. He came with Yvonne, who invited him out.

Even though they weren’t alone, as their childhood friend came with them, when Landon saw Lucy alone, he couldn’t stop feeling regret and sorry for not spending more time with her.

Until now, he lived with regret for his past actions.

And he might never get forgiven for it.